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Understanding and connecting with an audience on a deep level is the Holy Grail of sorts for most marketers. Businesses with real insight into who their customers are can understand what truly motivates them. Customers, on the other hand, feel better about businesses (and marketing in general) when they feel they are being addressed as an individual, rather than as a group.

Personalized digital marketing created by the right attribution modeling company is one of the best methods for cultivating that kind of relationship with consumers — and one of the most interesting examples of that approach is being taken by Gap Inc., the global retailer behind The Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and other brands.

How Gap Inc. is forging personal connections through advanced technology

In order to better connect with customers, Gap Inc. tapped into the power of deep data by building an advanced digital marketing stack centering around a proprietary customer data platform (CDP). By using both first and third party data, the company was able to create an in-depth and unified profile of its customers.

This approach allowed Gap Inc. to target these customers across digital marketing channels with creative and highly tailored ad content. Cutting-edge dynamic content optimization technology was the key to this operation, as it allows ads to be personalized for each customer at the moment of viewing, based on data collected by Gap Inc.

So what’s most interesting about the approach is taken by Gap Inc.? First, the company chose to invest in a proprietary CDP, giving them the freedom to build and customize a platform that best suits their needs. Next, Gap Inc. chose to integrate the first party data it already collects with information about customers interests and demographics, allowing them to create a fuller picture of who their audience is and what motivates them.

Finally, Gap Inc. is deploying sophisticated technological tools, similar to that of an attribution modeling company, supported by an in-house data science team. Content optimization technology helps deliver ads that are relevant, compelling and wrapped in the appropriate messaging context. Machine learning and AI tools, for example, can optimize the voice in which a marketing message is delivered based on the current mood of the customer.

Gap Inc. also leveraged the power of AI when building its CDP solution. Because the company has tens of millions of customer records, an algorithmic segmentation solution was necessary. The company used AI to create a unified view of its customers across channels and transactions, then deployed a separate AI solution to enable probabilistic customer matching, done in real time. This led to superior match rates and the ability to fine-tune marketing messages on the fly.

What brands can learn from GapInc.

Modern marketing is both an art and a science. The right creative work can move people and spur them into action, but it takes pinpoint distribution to maximize a campaign’s value. The Gap Inc.’s development of a proprietary CDP and its forward-thinking integration of AI and machine learning tools are examples of how technology can help brands connect with their audiences on a much deeper level.

At BIGEYE we’ve always tried to stay at the vanguard of new technology, while never losing sight of the creative human elements that inspire audiences. Contact us today if you’d like to hear more about personalized marketing and how the right attribution modeling company can take you to exciting new places.